Narratives of agency: the hero’s journey as a construct for personal development through outdoor adventure

Loynes, Christopher ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9779-7954 (2003) Narratives of agency: the hero’s journey as a construct for personal development through outdoor adventure. In: Koch, Josef, Rose, Lotte, Schirp, Jochem and Vieth, Jürgen, (eds.) Bewegungs: und korperorientierte ansatze in der sozialen arbeit. BSJ / Springer VS, Marburg, Germany, pp. 133-143.

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Abstract

Outdoor education uses the ‘outdoor’ space in various ways. This chapter explores some aspects of the outdoors as a fantasy space. I will compare this way of using spaces with concepts of play and storytelling and suggest that, whilst drawing on these traditions, what has developed has unique elements that suit it to the modern western world. I will describe the way in which the meta-narratives of the hero’s journey are used to create a structure in which people can explore their autonomy, power and creativity that is their agency. In particular I will discuss how the hero’s journey offers a rite of passage from youth to adult at a time when this transition has become increasingly problematic. As outdoor education has provided this opportunity largely unintentionally and unsystematically, this interpretation will help identify some weaknesses in normative provision. I will conclude by identifying ways in which the hero meta-narrative might improve practice.

Item Type:	Book Section
Publisher:	BSJ / Springer VS
ISBN:	9783810039453
Related URL(s):	Publisher
Departments:	Academic Departments > Science, Natural Resources & Outdoor Studies (SNROS) > Outdoor Studies
Additional Information:	Manuscript made open access with kind permission from publisher Springer VS. This chapter is reproduced, with BSJ's permission, in: Becker, Peter and Schirp, Jochem, (eds.) (2008) Other ways of learning. BSJ, Marburg, Germany.
Depositing User:	Insight Administrator
Date Deposited:	15 Dec 2010 11:50
Last Modified:	11 Jan 2024 18:16
URI:	https://insight.cumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/785

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